


Now Comes The Night

by flash0flight



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff, M/M, OT3, a lot of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-11
Updated: 2013-09-11
Packaged: 2017-12-26 07:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/963215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flash0flight/pseuds/flash0flight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve can't sleep, so he loses himself in drawing the two people who mean the world to him.</p>
<p>I apologise for the incoming cavities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Now Comes The Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [girl0nfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/girl0nfire/gifts).



The exhaustion doesn’t hit Steve until he settles down in the chair, sinking down into the soft cushioning and letting his body sag against it. He’s been on the go for three days, running ops and assisting the handlers at SHIELD, and as much as he knows it’s not his job, Steve also knows no one else is going to do it, except maybe Natasha-- but Steve doesn’t want her to feel the need to do so.

Besides, at least this way Natasha and Bucky have each other while Steve’s busy.

Shifting for a moment, Steve reaches for the familiar object that’s poking at his side, pulling out the sketchbook he’d tucked away in the couch last time he’d been home, a faint smile spreading across his lips as he trails his fingertips along the cover. He’s got so many of these laying around the place it’s hard to keep track of them sometimes, but there’s one he keeps here on the chair for a reason. One full of sketches of the two he loves most, at their best and their worst. Their most exposed and most beautiful.

And he knows it’s probably all kinds of weird, that he sits off to the side of the room and just _watches_ Bucky and Natasha, be it when they’re falling apart together, pulling each other to pieces, or just sleeping, but he can’t help it. Not with the rush he feels whenever he sees them, sees the small smile Natasha doesn’t realise she makes, the brightness in Bucky’s eyes he probably doesn’t realise is there. They both have their own moments, their own expressions and words and love for him, Steve knows. But they have them for each other too, secrets they don’t try to hide, but are still new to Steve.

Flipping the book open and shuffling through to a new page, Steve glances over to the two curled up in bed, Natasha curled so close against Bucky’s chest, Bucky’s arm wrapped securely around her waist, half of his face buried in crimson curls, curled so close to her like he wants to crawl into her skin. And it’s beautiful, seeing them like this-- seeing the two Steve loves so comfortable, so _happy_. And it’s all Steve wants in the world, all he needs, for them to be happy, settled and safe together like this, especially when they have every reason _not_ to be.

Before he knows it, he’s scrambling for a pencil, and thank god he leaves a couple by the chair just to be on the safe side, his mind fixating on the image of the two of them, the closeness and the comfort. Really, he should be tired as all hell, he should be curling up behind Bucky and falling asleep for the first time in three days, but the serum is running rampant in his system, leaving him with a buzz he can’t get away from. A side-effect of it keeping him going longer than anything should for anyone.

So he draws instead, losing himself in the slow scratching sound of the pencil moving across the page, the way the peaceful scene in front of him starts to blossom on the page, eyebrows furrowing here and there as he tries to capture the curve of Natasha’s hips, the curls of her hair, the almost childish expression on her face. As he struggles to recreate the gleam of Bucky’s arm, the way his hair falls over his forehead, the smile curling the very corners of his lips. Desperate to get every single detail, every fragment of the raw beauty right in front of him.

\--

Steve’s so focused on getting the shading _just right_ on the shadows that are cast on the sheets that he doesn’t see Natasha wake up, doesn’t even hear her slip out from under the sheets, doesn’t register her footsteps on the floor as she crosses the room. It’s not until she sets a hand on his arm that Steve starts, tearing his gaze away from the sketch, peering up to meet her sleep-heavy eyes.

“ Finally home, huh? “

Her voice is a little thick, still a little sleepy, but her smile is genuine as she peers at the half-finished sketch, and Steve can’t help but smile at the spark of appreciation in her eyes.

“ Dropped in around ten, couldn’t sleep. “

Reaching out to take her hand, Steve tangles their fingers together slowly, and he still can’t help but marvel at the way their fingers seem to fit together like this. Natasha leans down a little to get a better look at the sketch, crimson curls falling like a curtain over her face, and Steve doesn’t even think before reaching up with his free hand to brush her hair back, tucking it behind her ear before he leans up to press a kiss to her cheek.

“ Missed you, you know. “

Something flickers in Natasha’s face, almost like surprise, as though she’s still not used to the idea that Steve misses her, and it twinges a little in his chest that she finds it hard to believe. He’ll say it as much as he has to, though, as much as she needs to believe him.

Some of the shock passes, her expression settling again as she leans down to kiss Steve’s forehead, gentle and sweet and _god_ , he’s really missed this, missed _both_ of them.

“ Missed you too. Been trying to get them to lay off you, but-- “

“ Shh, hey-- “ Bringing her hand up to his lips, Steve presses gentle kisses along her fingers, leaning into her touch when she brings her other hand up to cup his cheek. “ M’alright, really. Got a few days of downtime, unless some catastrophe happens, and even then-- “

“ Even then, one of the others can handle it. “ Natasha insists, her voice a little sharp, a slight edge telling Steve he has little choice in the matter, and he can’t help but chuckle softly.

“ Right. So-- go back to sleep, I’ll join you soon. “

“ Don’t feel like it, here-- “

Steve can’t help but blink in surprise as Natasha takes the book and pencil out of Steve’s hands and nimbly climbs into his lap, curling up carefully and setting the book on her knees.

“ Still can’t believe how warm you always are. “

Natasha’s murmurs are gentle and sweet as she presses them against Steve’s skin with soft kisses, and Steve can’t help but close his eyes just for a moment, losing himself in the feel of her lips, how sure and steady she is, like she’s always been.

“ Living breathing heater, sweetheart. “

Steve leans down to kiss her, steady and sweet, smiling at the feel of her body relaxing against his, at the way she seems to fit so well curled up against his chest, at how she seems so _content_ to stay here with him. And really, Steve wouldn’t have it any other way, not after days of missing this, of dying to see her and not having the chance. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Steve takes the pencil from Natasha’s grip and rests his cheek on the top of her head, turning some of his attention back to the sketchbook balanced on Natasha’s knees, held steady by one of her hands.

“ Don’t mind me watching, right? “

“ Do I ever? “

Natasha’s light chuckle fills the space between them for a moment, echoing in Steve’s ears long after she’s fallen silent, twisting around the steady sound of Natasha’s breathing, of her heart beating so steadily against Steve’s chest, and for now, nothing else matters.

\--

“ How long has she been out? “

Not for the first time tonight, Steve starts out of the sort of trance he enters when he sketches, looking up to find Bucky watching over them both, rubbing away the sleep in his eyes. A glance at the clock tells Steve it’s just after three a.m. meaning Natasha’s been asleep for a little more than an two hours.

“ Since one, I think. “ Careful not to disturb Natasha’s sleep, Steve reaches up to drag his hand down his face, pausing to rub at his own eyes and-- god, somehow he’s _still not tired_. “ You alright? You must have been pretty tired, slept through the whole night so far-- “

“ Shh, I’m fine, let me just-- “

Shifting forward, Bucky slides an arm around Natasha’s back, curls another under her knee and hauls her up gently, cradling her against his chest as he turns and steps back across the room. And Steve can’t help but smile at the sight of them, at the way they just fit together so well, the way he knows all three of them fit together.

After tucking Natasha in and planting a kiss onto her forehead, Bucky turns back to meet Steve’s eyes, and Steve can see a world of concern there.

“ Couldn’t sleep? _Still_? “

“ Bucky, don’t-- “

“ I just-- three days, Steve-- “

“ I know, I _know_ , just-- “

Reaching out, Steve waits patiently for Bucky to give in, to cross the room and take Steve’s hand, fingers tangling together like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“ I missed you, Buck-- “

Steve’s voice is soft, a little lost, like it always has been when he’s away from Bucky for too long, and he can’t help it, no matter how hard he tries.

“ Shh, Steve-- “

Steve feels warm metal fingers under his chin, tilting his head up till he meets Bucky’s eyes, and Steve can’t help but get lost in them, in how familiar and strong they are, in all the comfort they give him. A small smile curls his lips again as Bucky strokes along his cheek, and he can’t help but lean into Bucky’s touch, trying not to think about how much he’s _ached_ for this for days now.

“ M’right here, okay? Not going anywhere. Got plenty of time now, right? “

When did Bucky become the voice of reason?

“ I can’t-- sleep yet, I don’t-- too wound up from all the missions and the work and-- “

“ That’s alright, hey-- I’ll stay with you. “

“ You’re not-- tired? “

Bucky laughs softly, not unkindly just a little disbelieving, his hand moving to tangle into Steve’s hair, and Steve can’t help but make a soft, content sort of sound in the back of his throat, leaning into Bucky’s hand and closing his eyes for a moment.

“ M’okay, really. Think I can last a few hours until you get to sleep. “

“ Yeah-- I know. Hey, Bucky? “

“ Yeah? “

Steve pulls at Bucky’s hand, tugging him down for a kiss, soft and slow and something he’s been missing for _days_ now.

“ Love you, you know. “

“ Of course, hey-- love you too. “


End file.
